Cape bicyclist injured in accident released from hospital

September 24, 2013

A Cape Coral bicyclist has been released from the hospital after a recent traffic accident.

As of Tuesday, Gary L. Wheeler Jr., 43, of 1104 N.E. Van Loon Terrace, had been discharged from Lee Memorial Hospital, where he was taken following a Sept. 13 crash on Northeast Pine Island Road.

According to police, Wheeler was headed west on Pine Island Road in the marked bicycle lane on a Genesis bicycle. At about 7:13 p.m., an Infiniti SUV traveling east on Pine Island Road in the outside lane drifted to the right in the 1500 block, causing the right half of the SUV to enter the bicycle lane.

The front of the Infiniti struck the front of the bicycle head on. Due to the collision, Wheeler was forced up onto the SUV's hood and into the windshield, before being ejected off of the vehicle.

Police reported that Wheeler was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

He sustained life-threatening head injuries and was trauma-alerted in critical condition.

The driver of the Infiniti, Joseph A. Anders, 58, of 9614 Cobalt Cove Drive, Naples, was not injured.

The accident is reportedly not alcohol or drug related.

There have been 15 traffic fatalities in the Cape so far this year, in addition to two medically ruled deaths, which are cases where the cause of death is not related to injuries sustained in the crash.

Last year, the city recorded 10 traffic fatalities, compared to 11 traffic fatalities in 2011.